We tasted last night (2/3/16) Some Lacrima di Morro d'Albas:
1. Luciano Landi Gavigliano DOC: LaCrima di Morro d'Alba Superiore (14.5%; Lotto N.90/12; www.aziendalandi.it)
Belvedere/AN 2011: Dark color; light earthy/loamy/dusty strong cherry/black cherry/dried cherries rather Sangio-
like slight herbal rather spicy slight tobaccoy quite lovely nose; fairly tart cherry/Sangio-like/black cherry
bit dusty/OV/earthy flavor w/ some hard/bitey tannins; long cherry/black cherry some earthy/dusty finish w/
ample hard/astringent tannins; lovely perfume and very Sangio-like but a bit rustic & hard on the palate.
$15.00 (K&L)
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2. Luigi Giusti DOC: LaCrima di Morro d'Alba (13%; DinoCapriotti www.VinityWineCompany.com) Montignano 2011: Med.
dark color; rather reduced/ozone/burning metal/Kansas outhouse some deep black cherry/boysenberry/Lacrima nose;
lightly tart black cherry/cherry/bit Sangio-like some reduced/outhouse/ozone/pungent flavor w/ light hard tannins;
long somewhat reduced/outhouse/burning metal some deep/black cherry/Sangio-like finish w/ some hard/rough tannins;
speaks of Lacrima but the strong reductive character ruins this wine. $20.00 (WoP)
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3. Velenosi Querci Antica DOC: LaCrima di Morro (100% LaCrima di Morro d'Alba; 13%; www.DomaineSelect.com)
AscoliPiceno 2011: Dark color; beautiful black cherry/black cherry cola/spicy bit licorice light oak fairly
complex nose; lightly tart strong black cherry/black cherry cola light licorice/pungent light toasty/oak flavor
w/ light angular tannins; very long slightly tart/tangy strong black cherry/black cherry cola/spicy light toasty/
oak finish w/ light sharp/rough tannins; a bit like a Refosco but harder on the palate; a classic LCdMd'A at a
very good price. $19.00 (DaV)
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4. Velenosi QuerciAntica DOC: LaCrima di Morro d'Alba (13%; L1311) AscoliPiceno 2012: Very dark color; slight
wet dog fur/wet wool/funky strong pungent/black cherry/black cherry cola/licorice slight toasty/oak fairly
attractive nose; lightly tart pungent/black cherry/black cherry cola slight licorice light toasty/oak flavor
w/ light hard tannins; slightly funky/wet dog fur somewhat pungent/black cherry/black cherry cola light toasty/
oak finish w/ light angular tannins; a slight funk and a bit on the rustic/coarse side but speaks strongly
of Lacrima. $21.00 (LM)
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5. MarottiCampi Rubico DOC: Lacrima di Morro d'Alba (Classic Maceration + Carbonic Maceration; 13.5%;
www.MarottiCampi.It) 2012: Dark color; very strong black cherry/black cherry cola/licorice/ripe/boysenberry
light dusty/earthy quite perfumed nose; lightly tart strong black cherry/black cherry cola/licorice/ripe light
dusty/earthy slight tangy/rustic flavor w/ light smooth tannins; very long/lingering ripe/boysenberry/spicy/
black cherry/black cherry cola slight earthy/dusty finish w/ light gentle tannins; more pure Lacrima character
than #6 and a bit more rustic; no CM character that I could pick up; great price at $17.60 (CB)
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6. MarottiCampi Origiolo Superiore DOC: Lacrima di Morro d'Alba (Classic Maceration + Carbonic Maceration;
Part aged in seasoned wood; 13.5%) 2012: Dark color; light toasty/oak strong black cherry/black cherry cola/spicy
slight Bazooka bubble gum light dusty/OV somewhat complex nose; softer light toasty/oak strong black cherry/
black cherry cola fairly smooth/balanced complex flavor w/ light smooth/polished tannins; very long/lingering
strong black cherry/black cherry cola/spicy light toasty/oak complex finish w/ light smooth/velvety tannins;
much like the Rubico but somewhat more polished/elegant/up-scale; lovely Lacrima for a great price. $22.50 (CB)
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7. Zaccagnini DOC: Lacrima di Morro d'Alba/Marche (L12329; 13%; BondImports/Littleton CO; www.BondImports.com)
2011: Med.color; bit earthy/dusty/rustic some spicy/black cherry/black cherry cola slight licorice nose; softer
clean/spicy/black cherry/black cherry cola light earthy/dusty/loamy flavor w/ light gentle tannins; med.long
spicy/clean/bright/black cherry/black cherry cola bit earthy/dusty finish w/ light tannins; a bit simpler but
altogether pleasant example of Lacrima at a good price. $17.00 (DiVino)
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8. Kerria DOC: LaCrima di Morro d'Alba/Marche (12%; L62/13) LucianoLandi/Belvedere 2012: Dark color; rather spicy/
low-key/quiet bit pungent/black cherry/black cherry cola light floral attractive nose; softer some full/rich
low-key black cherry/black cherry cola/ripe slight floral/violets bit simple pleasant flavor w/ light soft
tannins; med.long quiet/black cherry/black cherry cola/ripe slight earthy finish w/ light soft tannins; a pleasant
bit simple expression of Lacrima in a quiet/understated way; bit pricey at $26.00 (SFW&S)
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9. Vicari DdOC: LaCrima di Morro d'Alba Dasempre del Pozzo Buono (13.5%; VitisImports; L14212) Morro d'Alba 2013:
Dark color; very strong floral/violets black cherry/black cherry cola very spicy/licorice some ripe/boysenberry/
peppery complex lovely nose; lightly tart very strong floral/lilacs/violets strong spicy/black cherry/black cherry
cola very spicy/peppery slight herbal structured/balanced fairly intense flavor w/ modest smooth/round tannins;
very long/lingering strong/spicy/black cherry/black cherry cola/licorice rather floral/lilacs/violets slight
dusty/herbal complex finish w/ some smooth/polished tannins; a world-class/balance/structured Lacrima at a very
fair price. $28.00 (WE)
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10. Stefano Mancinelli Dd'OC: Lacrime di Morro d'Alba (13%; VitisImports; L12.L03) Morro d'Alba 2011: Daark color;
very strong spicy/black cherry/black cherry cola/licorice light pencilly/oak bit earthy/dusty/OV ripe/blackberry/
bit Syrah-like complex nose; lightly tart some pencilly/cedary/oak strong black cherry/black cherry cola/spicy
lightly floral bit earthy flavor w/ modest hard/angular tannins; very long/lingering black cherry/black cherry cola/
spicy light pencilly/oak slight floral/earthy/musky finish w/ light hard/rough tannins; another world-class
LaCrima at a less attractive price. $38.00 (WE)
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11. Unti LaCrima DCV (13.2%; LaCrima di Morro d'Alba; 85 cs; www.UntiVineyards.com) NV ('12-'13-'14): Dark color;
light toasty/oak slight alcoholic strong black cherry/black cherry cola slight raspberry/DCV/riper some licorice/
smokey bit floral/lilacs very attractive nose; lightly tart very spicy/black chery/black cherry cola some pencilly/
toasty/oak light floral/lilacs raspberry/DCV flavor w/ light rather smooth/round tannins; very long some toasty/
oak strong black cherry/black cherry cola/spicy/raspberry bit floral/lilacs/violets aromatic finish w/ light
smooth tannins; a bit more high-toned/ripe and not as rough/rustic as the Italian ones; speaks strongly of
Lacrima w/ a DryCreekVlly accent; a Lacrima that can go mano a mano of the best from Marche at a very attractive
price. $22.00
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More nonsense from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Lacrima means "teardrop" in Italian. It refers to the fact that, when fully ripe, the grapes often exude drops
of juice thru their thick skins. Seems to me that that would promote rot in the bunches.
This is a fairly rare grape grown in LeMarche of Italy. I've been a big fan of it for a number of yrs. Alas,
the grape is not very well known. Until it's discovered by Parker or Suckling, it's probably destined to wallow
in the swamps of obscurity forever. Too bad.
This is a collection I've assembled over the last yr or so. Probably the World's largest collection of Lacrima
ever assembled outside of Morro d'Alba.
Except for a couple of flawed wines, these were excellent across the board. They show a black cherry/black
cherry cola varietal character w/ a slight rusticity that I find very interesting. I think the producers have
a bit of an image problem. Many of them, in addition to being fairly cheap, were closed w/ plastic or agglomerate
corks. But make no mistake, Lacrima can make a very serious wine. A grape that should be being planted all up &
down the Coast of Calif.
Of these wines, except for #2/#4, the wines were all very good to outstanding. The Vicari & the Mancinelli
were my favorites and world-class wines in every sense of the word. The MarottiCampi were also outstanding.
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2. Visciola: This dessert wine is the one that initially sparked my interest in the Lacrima grape. Of course, coming
from DarrellCorti. I've been known to show an interest in weird wines before.
It is made from sour Visciola cherries and Lacrima grapes, by a number of different processes. The cherries
usually ripen in July/August, whilst the Lacrima ripens in Sept/Oct time frame. Sometimes the cherries are
fermented directly into a cherry wine, which is then blended into the fermenting Lacrima wine. Sometimes the
cherries are pressed into juice, macerated on the skins for several months, and then added to the Lacrima must
to co-ferment. The Giusti process is described: (www.vinitywinecompany.com/wine/viscola)
The Visciola wine is very intensely sour cherries and pretty sweet. It's a no-brainer to be making Visciola
in Calif. Of course, not w/ Lacrima grapes, as there are virtually none there. I shared a btl of Visciola w/
MatRorick a few yrs ago & he was impressed. I suggested that, w/ the plentitude of cherries in the SuisunVlly,
a Visciola made from PetiteSirah would be a no-brainer. Alas, I think Mat thought it pretty much a "forlorn hope"
even for his exotic portfolio. Maybe I can convince the Untis to take up this exotic effort.
Visciola is currently in stock at CortiBros and K&L. It's worth checking out.
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3. UntiVnyds: This is a wnry that is doing some very interesting things these days. Run by Mick & George Unti, w/
George being the one in charge of the vnyd and the one carried away by Italian varieties. I would like to brag
that I "followed them from the very start"...but such is not the case. I first became familiar w/ them thru
SteveEdmunds Rocks&Gravel Rhone red blend. Steve swears by the grapes that George grows. The vnyd was started in
1990 and the wnry founded in 1997.
I started to take a serious interest in Unti a few yrs ago when they started to focus more on Italian varieties.
I became really excited when DarrellCorti told me a few yrs ago that they were growing LaCrima, one of my
favorite grapes. Alas, they had only enough Lacrima to make one barrel each vintage. Finally, they decided to
blend the first three vintages together and push it out the door.
Unti is to be applauded for releasing the first Calif Lacrima at a very reasonable price ($22). Usually,
when some wnry releases the first example of some variety grown in Calif, they always charge an arm & a leg for it
in order to milk the market for all its worth. Think vonStrausser Gruner ($80) or Davero Sagratino ($65).
This marketing strategy leaves a bad taste in the consumer's mouth, and can hinder the acceptance of this new
grape in Calif. The Untis example may get consumers to try Lacrima, they like it, and they'll search out some
examples from Italy to try. A win/win situation all around. Bravo for Mick & George.
Tom